Arch Linux

gunnix

Member

Registered: 2005-11-11

Posts: 102

Website

Lightweight shell for /bin/sh

Hi,

I'm new to arch. I'm used to using debian and there I have /bin/sh a symlink to the fast dash shell.
In arch I notice /bin/sh is symlinked to bash by default. But bash is really slow.
I see on my system firefox, wmii, and so on use /bin/sh (so bash now), and it  uses 0.5 % ram for each process. But with dash it would show 0% (at least in debian). I think that's a huge difference.

I think arch needs a fast shell linked to /bin/sh by default like ash or dash. It makes things a lot faster.

I tried to compile dash just now but I get some compile error (tempfile: command not found). I tried to edit the scripts a bit but no luck. Otherwise I'd make the package.

I'm no expert so correct me if I'm wrong in anything I said here

Here is dash:
http://gondor.apana.org.au/~herbert/dash/

greetz,
gunnix

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As is true for most people I know, I've always loved learning. As is also true for most people I know, I always hated school. Why is that?

gunnix

Member

Registered: 2005-11-11

Posts: 102

Website

Re: Lightweight shell for /bin/sh

Ok , I got it compiled using :
#ln –s /usr/bin/mktemp /usr/bin/tempfile

I'll see if I can make a package later.

grtz

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As is true for most people I know, I've always loved learning. As is also true for most people I know, I always hated school. Why is that?

gunnix

Member

Registered: 2005-11-11

Posts: 102

Website

Re: Lightweight shell for /bin/sh

Never mind, using dash as /bin/sh makes arch unbootable with initng

It does use 5 times less ram then bash if mde /bin/sh after boot up. But it's not very interesting if it doesn't boot up with it.

Maybe there are other fast shells which are bash compatible?

(or maybe dash could be patched to make it work with initng)

grtz

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As is true for most people I know, I've always loved learning. As is also true for most people I know, I always hated school. Why is that?

JoyFM

Member

From: potsdam

Registered: 2007-01-03

Posts: 27

Website

Re: Lightweight shell for /bin/sh

why do you use initng?
work the normal init with that shell?

Ramses de Norre

Member

From: Leuven - Belgium

Registered: 2007-03-27

Posts: 1,289

Re: Lightweight shell for /bin/sh

Dash lacks a lot of functionality that bash provides, and debian and derivatives had to make several changes to a lot of script before they were able to replace bash by dash. So I'm afraid it wont be as simple as compiling and relinking.